VA-176 THUNDERBOLTS

I am a former member of VA-176. My tour was from 1971 to 1974. I was an AE-AQ-2 when discharged. My name is Mike Stacey. My wife Shirley lived in base housing at NAS Oceana from 1972 to 1974. Both our children, Angela and Michelle were there also. I would like to hear from anyone with info or that I served with. Shirley would love to hear from any of her friends.

Attack Squadron VA-176 flew the A-6 Intruder. This squadron then had the A-6-A, A-6-C, and the KA-6D tankers. The Intruder was an all weather aircraft designed to deliver 18,000 pounds of bombs. The A-6 has been replaced by the F/A-18 Hornet after it was first entered into service in February 1963 with VA-42 (Green Pawns), also based at NAS Oceana.

Naval Air Station Oceana is a Master Jet Base located within the city of Virginia Beach, Virginia. There are over seven miles of runway serving the station and transient military air traffic. Oceana was originally carved out of 328 acres of swampland in 1940 as an Auiliary Airfield. Wartime growth pushed it's status to a Naval Air Auxilary Airfield on August 17, 1943 and by war's end the number of men and aircraft aboard had tripled. In 1952 Ocenana was designed a Naval Air Station. By 1953 Oceana was an all-weather air station, and by 1957 it was officially designated a Master Jet Base. Today it is a complex of some 6000 acres...

CVB/CVA/CV-42 USS FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT

• USS Franklin D. Roosevelt was lanched 29 April 1945 by the New York Naval Shipyard as the Coral Sea (CVB-42). On 8 May 1945 she was renamed Franklin D. Roosesvelt and commissioned 27 October 1945 with Captain A. Soueek in command. She was reclassified CVA-42 on 1 October 1952.
• As a Midway class carrier, FDR made mostly east coast deployments. She made one deployment to Vietman from 21 June 1966 to 21 February 1967. In 1975 when carriers began to embark dedicated anti-submarine aircraft, the Navy redsignated all the carriers from CVA to CV. This was to reflect their all mission capabilities. Shortly after the FDR was decommissioned and sold for scrap in 1977.
• I made two Med cruises aboard FDR from 1972 to 1974. During the long ten month cruise of 1972, USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42) and Attack Carrier Air Wing Six (CVW-6) was awarded a Meritorious Unit commendation by then Chief of Naval Operations Admiral E.R. Zumwalt Jr.. He was famous for his memos called Z-grams.
• This web site is here for anyone who was aboard FDR or any of the A-6 squadrons. It is my hope to have old shipmates reach each other and myself. Please sign in and view my guest book from the links below. Please E-mail me anytime and check out the rest of my pages with more info. I also have added the VA-176 section of the 73-74 cruise book. The link is on page two.

Links

1. Click here for Page Two and links to the first two guest books.
2. A great color photo of Rosie.
3. Photo A6 503 and Me
4. Photo of CMD. Richard M. Dunleavy in FDR Ready Room with me to the far left.
5. Photo of My Boot Camp Company #27 Great Lakes.
6. Photo of three VA-176 Inturders in formation.
7. Photo of VA-176 #504 Buno#154142
8. First insigna used by VA-176
9. Photo of FDR from the late 1950's.
10. CVA-42 MED Cruise Patch 1972.
11. FDR in the Bay of Biscay Storm 1972
12. A great page for VA-176 Spad Driver's history and photos.
13. Page one of an account from the book Civil Warriors about Lt. Richard Scruggs.
14. Page two about Lt. Scruggs sent by Dwight W. Watson.
15. Paul Bauerlein, VA-176 72-74, has set up a search page for FDR members. Click on this link and sign his guest book.
16. Spiritwriter.com. A site my daughter Michelle has on haunted sites throughout Ohio. Also has a book out.
17. VA-176 Reunion Association web page by Bob Wilczynski 1982-1986.
18. Photo of a spad from VFP 62 on the USS Shangri-La.
19. Photo of a spad squadron.
SIGN MY GUEST BOOK AND VIEW THE FIRST THREE ON PAGE 2.
VIEW MY CURRENT GUEST BOOK.
20. Story of Life on FDR.
21. Photo of myself with FDR helicopter.
22. Phebe's Hell Hole, my grandaughter's neat site.